MAD MEN: How TV changed America

Among other things. Mad Men demonstrates the sweeping social changes made possible by television, beginning with the post-war Fifties through the many upheavals of the Sixties and Seventies. What kinds of social conditions portrayed in the show might have been influenced by the growing popularity of television, and why? (Other topics and  comments welcome)

Discussion: GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK

Here is the place for your opinions and comments of the film viewed in class. Consider the implications of the McCarthy hearings and the ensuing media coverage for the culture of television.

Scholarly source material for TWIN PEAKS assignment

Here are some links to help you find academic sources for this assignment, which is due next week.

As we demonstrated in class, the library website has an online database that is very effective for finding scholarly source material. If you look under letter 'C' for 'Communication and Mass Media Complete' and then do a search on Twin Peaks you will a great many articles.

This website from UC Berkeley has some very helpful tips for finding scholarly sources of film and television reviews, plus many useful links.

This page from the University of Connecticut links to some good databases; you should be able to access them as an enrolled student.

Finally, this article from FlowTV is a very insightful and effective explanation of how television criticism works and what its implications are. I think all of you should read it to better understand the context of criticism as it relates to this course.

Feel free to ask any questions here in the comments section.

There are a variety of critical approaches seen in the vast body of criticism and analysis of TWIN PEAKS. Some are from major newspapers such as The New York Times or The Guardian. Many articles online were written when the DVD set was finally released, twenty years after the series premiered, and so reflect the passage of time and the evolution of television storytelling over two decades. Many genre-based websites and blogs also feature reviews: the quality of writing and aptitude of the criticism may cover a wide continuum from inept to mediocre to brilliant. Some specialized horror genre blogs like Bloody Disgusting might showcase some interesting approaches to talking about the show. Do some searching around for a wide variety of sources for your assignment; consider factors such as popularity of a given source, or the appeal of one particular writing style over another, in choosing the best examples of criticism.

Twin Peaks discussion

Here is the place to discuss your thoughts of our screening of the pilot of TWIN PEAKS!